Floor or ceiling clamp



(No Model.) 6

A. A. ROUNSAVILLE. FLOOR 0R CEILING CLAMP.

No. 566,622. Patented Aug. 25, ,1896.

Awdiows Ajiozaz 5a e ZZ UNITED STATES Parana rrrcn;

AURELIOUS AMERICUS ROUNSAVILLE, OF BLYTIIEVILLE, ARKANSAS.

FLOOR OR CEILING CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 566,622, dated August 25, 1896. Application filed April 29, 1895. Serial No. 547,577. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Aonnmous Annalee ROUNSAVILLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blytheville, in the county of Mississippi and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Floor or Ceiling Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a clamp adapted for use in applying floor or ceiling boards; and it has for its objectto provide a simple, inexpensive, and eihcient device having the requisite power to properly force the boards to their places Without injury and having means for holding the clamp in its set position to maintain the boards in place during nailing.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof Will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing the figure represents a perspective view of a device constructed in ac cordance with my invention.

1 designates a lever provided with a deflected extremity, as shown at 2, Which is bifurcated for the reception of the extremity of the shank of a clutch for holding the clamp in position during the forcing of a ceiling or floor board to its place. The lever is also provided at an intermediate point with parallel ears 3, between which is pivoted the tongue 4: of the push-bar 5. This push-bar is bifurcated or Y-shaped, with the arms 6 thereof separated to bear against the edge of a ceiling or floor board upon opposite sides of the plane of the joist with which the clutch is engaged. The extremities of the arms 6 are notched, as shown at 7, to fit the tongues of the boards.

The clutch 8 consists of pivotal arms 9 and 10, provided at their extremities with spurs 11 to engage the opposite side surfaces of the joist, as indicated at 12, and having their opposite ends connected by links 13 with an eye 14, having a shank 15, said shank being fitted in the bifurcation at the extremity of the lever and being secured therein by means of a removable pin 16. It is obvious that When this dog is in engagement with a joist and pressure is applied to the extremity of the lever the spurs 11 are caused to bite into the material of the joist and hold firmly during the operation.

The pivot-pin of the arms of the clamp is provided with an eye 17, to which is connected one end of a stay-chain l8, and the other end of said chain is fitted with a loop to move loosely upon the lever and engage any one of a series of inclined notches or seats 19, formed therein, whereby when the board has been forced to its desired position the parts of the clamp may be locked in that position until the board has been properly secured. The chain passes between the legs of the pn shbar, and by reason of being connected to the clutch and the lever it is arranged directly in the line of strain caused by the tendency of the lever to move from the plane of the boards. The arrangement of the stay in the manner described provides for the use of a comparatively light chain for the purpose.

By the construction and arrangement described the stay-chain is prevented from dangling as the device is changed from one position to another, both ends of the chain being connected to parts of the clamp.

It will also be observed that, on account of the flexibility of the chain, when the lever is vibrated backward said chain Will be deflected against the crotch of the fork, thus permitting greater movement of said lever than if the stay were inflexible.

It is obvious that the spreading of the arms of the push-bar provides for the stability of the device during operation by preventing lateral vibration, and, furthermore, the strain upon the tongue of the board, instead of being applied at a single point, is distributed, and hence less injury to the tongue ensues.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim isp In a floor and ceiling clamp, in combination, a lever having a bent end and provided with notches along one edge, a clutcln embodying crossed arms pivoted at their intersection and each having an independent linked connection With the bent end of the lever, a forked push-bar pivotally connected to said lever interinediate the ends of the latter, a flexible In testimony that I claim the foregoing as stay connected atone end to the point of inmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in :o tersection of the clutch-arms and passing bethe presence of two witnesses.

tween the arms of the forked push-bar, and

5 an inflexible? 100p connected to the opposite AURELIOUS AMERIOUS ROUNSM ILLE' end of said stay and surrounding the lever Witnesses: and adapted to engage the notches therein, S. W. LUCY,

substantially as described. A. J. BISHIP. 

